


Torn

by bashfulwalrus



Category: Goofus and Gallant (Comics)
Genre: Brothers, ChickLit, Competition, F/M, Goofus and Gallant, Jealousy, Love, Love Story, M/M, Romance, Twins, bad versus good, brothers conflict - Freeform, love triange, twin guys
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-15
Updated: 2018-06-27
Packaged: 2019-05-23 12:49:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,977
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14934566
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bashfulwalrus/pseuds/bashfulwalrus
Summary: Twins Goofus and Gallant have always been opposites. Goofus is the bad boy. Messy hair. Skateboarding. Bad grades. Gallant is the good guy. Straight A's. Student Council president. Nerdy.Everyone can agree that they have nothing in common.But then fiery, redheaded Emma moves to town and the twins might have something in common after all.But which one of them will date her?





	1. Chapter 1

Goofus glared angrily at the sheet of calculus problems sitting in front of him. “This is impossible,” he mumbled, blowing a strand of hair off his forehead. It was 7am on a Tuesday morning and the bus would be arriving at any minute now. So Goofus decided now would be the perfect time to start his homework.

“Isn’t that due today?” Gallant asked. He took a seat across from him and began eating a bowl of Whole Wheat cereal. 

“Yeah. Well, technically in about…” Goofus squinted at the clock. “Three hours.”

“You should really get glasses,” Gallant said, noticing his squinting. 

Goofus snorted. “Glasses are for nerds. And I don’t need your help. Last time I checked, you weren’t my… um… doctor for eyes or whatever.”

“Optometrist, you mean?” Gallant raised an eyebrow, only talking after he was done chewing. He knew you should never talk with your mouth full.

“Whatever it’s called,” Goofus rolled his eyes. He turned his attention reluctantly back to his math problems. “Why do I even bother with this shit?” Gallant flinched as Goofus began shoving his papers messily into his bookbag.

Gallant closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. His conscious was starting to nag at him. He sighed. “Would you like to copy mine?” It wasn’t morally right, but Goofus was his brother.

“Really?” Goofus squeaked. This was the most animated he’d been all morning. Although why should he be surprised? Gallant had offered up his homework the last two times too.   
Goofus snatched Gallant’s homework as soon as he brought it out, causing the paper to rip in the corner. “Oops,” Goofus smirked, scribbling answers down as fast as his hand would let him. A horn honked outside.

Gallant immediately stood up, brushing off nonexistent dirt from his khakis. Which were freshly ironed, of course. “The bus is here.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Goofus waved his hand distractedly. “Go on without me.”

“Then how will you get to school?”

“Good point. Tell the bus to wait for me.”

“That seems a bit impolite, Goofus. You don’t want to keep the other students waiting.”

“Like I give a shit,” Goofus chuckled.

Gallant quietly mumbled “Language” before leaving without him. On the bus, Gallant politely got the busdriver’s attention. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but my brother will be a few more minutes.” 

The busdriver heaved a huge sigh, knocking his head back against his seat. “I have a schedule to keep, you know.”

“I understand, sir,” Gallant replied, slightly annoyed at his brother for making him take the heat. From the back of the bus, a hand waved out to Gallant, and he quickly headed over, eager to escape the bus driver’s wrath. 

“Hello, Gallant,” Kevin greeted. Gallant and Kevin had been friends since second grade, ever since Gallant was bullied for being a teacher’s pet. Kevin stuck up for him when no one else would. Not even Goofus. In fact, Goofus was one of the tormenters. And sure, Kevin was pretty nerdy, with his crew cut and big block glasses, but at least he was better than the _hooligans _Goofus hung out with. “It was nice of you to cover for your brother,” Kevin said, flipping open a comic book. “Maybe the bus driver will mention it to Mr. Marhefka for Student of the Month.”__

__“I doubt it,” Gallant glanced up at the bus driver’s angry expression._ _

__“Gee, it must stink to have a brother like Goofus. Always throwing you under the bus like this. Wait-- get it? BUS?” Kevin began snorting with laughter, before quickly dialing it down. “Sorry,” he apologized to no one. “I don’t want to disrupt the other students.”_ _

__Gallant paid no attention, instead staring at the window where Goofus ambled over to the bus. The same hoodie since fourth grade. Ripped jeans. Converse, one of which was scribbled on with Sharpie, the other one untied. And greasy, uncombed hair that covered his ears. The polar opposite of Gallant. For identical twin brothers, that was pretty ironic.  
After climbing on the bus, Goofus sped past him, only focused on his friends hollering in the back. He failed to noticed the bus driver’s icy glare. Gallant sighed. Sometimes he was jealous of the way Goofus just didn’t care. He was probably happier that way._ _

__As the bus pulled away from the curb, Gallant automatically pulled out flashcards from his backpack and began reviewing for today’s history test. This was his life. Who he was. The good guy._ _

__\---_ _

__Outside of Room 711, a girl stood nervously in the empty hallways, clutching her books so hard that her knuckles went white. Was it possible to be this nervous? She could feel her heart beating so fast that she was sure she’d faint. In fact, she was starting to feel a little light-headed…_ _

__“Are you okay?” a voice suddenly asked from behind her. The girl spun around. Probably not a good idea, because the world swooped and whirled in front of her. “Easy there,” the voice chuckled lightly, and the girl forced her eyes to focus on the face in front of her. A nice-looking boy with perfectly straight teeth and combed hair greeted her._ _

__“Oh, sorry about that,” the girl said breathlessly. “Sometimes I get so nervous that I get dizzy.”_ _

__The boy smiled slightly. “Don’t worry, that happens to me too. Are you new? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”_ _

__“I’m Emma,” she smiled, leaning back against the lockers. “And yeah, I'm new. Today's my first day actually.”_ _

__“I’m Gallant,” he said. He could feel butterflies in his chest, just from talking to a girl. “I can help show you around if you’d like,” he said in a sudden burst of confidence._ _

__“Really? That would be great,” Emma grinned, revealing a set of braces. “But… uhm…”_ _

__Gallant began to sweat. His first time talking to a girl who wasn’t in the nerd clique, and she’s already going to reject him. “Yeah?” his voice cracked with nerves. He cleared his throat quickly, blushing. Why was he so awkward?_ _

__Emma giggled. “How come no one else is here?” She gestered to the deserted hallway. “It’s kinda spooky.”_ _

__Gallant’s shoulders sagged with relief. So he still had a chance after all. “Oh, that’s because class actually doesn’t start for another half hour. Most people are just hanging out in the quad.”_ _

__“Then why are you here?” Emma asked._ _

__Gallant hesitated, knowing she was probably going to think he’s a nerd. “I’m student council president. I just walk around and help teachers set up. It sounds lame, I know.”  
“It’s not that lame,” she smiled. _ _

__Gallant believed her, but was still eager to change the subject. “So are you in Homeroom 711?”_ _

__Emma nodded._ _

__“That’s my homeroom,” Gallant exclaimed, trying not to overanalyze the way the girl’s green eyes lit up._ _

__“Cool!” Emma grinned. “So, still up on that offer to give me a tour?”_ _

__Gallant nodded, maybe a little too eagerly. “Of course.”_ _

__They began walking towards that math wing, feet echoing against the linoleum floors. Gallant tried to hide his sweaty palms as he wiped them on his khakis. He had no reason to be nervous. He was just giving a new kid a school tour. As president, he’d done that dozens of times. He started in on his memorized speech. “This is Mr. Linderman’s room. You’ll probably have him for calculus…” he continued all the way down the music hall. Emma seemed interested enough, although he doubted if she’d remember all these names and places._ _

__“Unless you’re in band, I don’t really need to show you around this section--”_ _

__“--I am,” Emma cut in._ _

__Gallant’s eyes widened in interest. Most kids weren’t in band because it had a reputation for being ‘too geeky.’ “Really? What instrument do you play?” He held his breath._ _

__“Clarinet.”_ _

__“That’s what I play too!” Gallant fought to hide his excitement. There were only two junior clarinets, and they really needed someone else._ _

__“We have a lot in common,” Emma beamed, staring into his eyes._ _

__“Yeah,” Gallant said, his heart fluttering as they locked gazes. “Do you--”_ _

___RING! ____ _

____The bell rang suddenly and they sprang back in surprise. Emma laughed and Gallant cleared his throat awkwardly. “I have to go get some books from my locker. Will you be okay going up on your own?” he asked._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, totally,” Emma said, but her scrunched up eyebrows revealed she was less than sure. “See you around?” she asked._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, see you around,” Gallant said, already looking forward to homeroom with her. He watched her go and already felt his mouth curling up with fondness. This wasn’t good._ _ _ _

____\---_ _ _ _

____Goofus and his rowdy gang slunk into homeroom exactly three seconds before the bell rang._ _ _ _

____“Cutting it close boys, aren’t we?” Their teacher, Mr. Baker, raised an eyebrow._ _ _ _

____“Not as close as your mom,” Goofus shot back. It hardly made sense, but that didn’t stop his friends from giving him high fives of approval anyways._ _ _ _

____“Just sit down,” Mr. Baker said through clenched teeth. Goofus swaggered over to his desk, where he unfortunately sat next to Gallant. The desks were alphabetical and, as brothers, they had the same last name._ _ _ _

____“Here,” Goofus thrust the homework he copied from earlier into Gallant’s hands._ _ _ _

____Gallant blanched, quickly grabbing it. “You can’t give it back here!” he whispered, obviously flustered. “The teacher’s _right there! _He’ll know I let you copy!”___ _ _ _

______Goofus rolled his eyes, digging a stick of gum out of his bookbag. Holding it in between his teeth like a cigar, he turned to Gallant. “Ooooh, well don’t look now, the police are already on their way!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Gallant bit his tongue to keep him from saying the things he wanted to say. “I forgive you,” he said instead. Goofus scrunched up his eyebrows, giving him an Are you serious? look. He was about to open his mouth for a retort, when Mr. Baker clapped his hands._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Alright, class. Today we have a…” he grabbed a piece of chalk. “...new student.” Goofus cringed at their teacher’s habit of writing _everything _down on the board. It was annoying, time-consuming, and it’s not like they’re deaf. Once he and Gallant had gotten into an argument over it, with Gallant claiming that the board-writing made for better note-taking. And… _why was Goofus even thinking about this right now? _______ _ _ _ _

__________He instead turned his attention back to the board, where a girl with frizzy red hair was now standing. Freckles dotted her cheeks and she was wearing a sweater dress with knee high boots. She was gorgeous, really. He leaned over to Gallant. “Who’s the babe?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Gallant shot him a look. “Her name’s Emma. She plays clarinet,” he added._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Goofus raised an eyebrow, incredulous. How did his nerd brother know that?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So, you’ve already… been acquainted, I see?” he winked suggestively._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Gallant swiveled his head back to the front. “No talking in class,” he whispered. But he couldn’t hide the sudden blush on his cheeks. Goofus choked back a laugh. So little Gallant had a crush? Not that Goofus could blame him, but it was still embarrassing to see the stars in his eyes._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Emma was talking now. “I’m from Hartford, Connecticut. I have three brothers, Rick, Archie, and Alex. I like music,” she was rushing through her words, obviously nervous, as her gaze flickered around the room. Her eyes met Goofus’ and she paused her speech for just a second, before continuing. Goofus smirked. What could he say? He had a way with the ladies. He zoned out the rest of her speech, but picked out a few key items to remember. Something about a cat… clarinet… painting… You know, just in case he ever talked to her. And he knew he would. There was just something about this girl… Maybe the way she talked. The way a jolt ran through Goofus when they met eyes. The way she kept wringing her hands together nervously. Goofus couldn’t stop watching her. He shot a look over at his brother and noticed that he was equally engrossed. Maybe they did have one thing in common after all. Goofus felt the familiar flare of competition ignite in his stomach. If he had to fight Gallant for Emma, he would._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________\---_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Emma let out a deep breath when she finally returned to her seat with flushed cheeks. She always hated the whole _make-the-new-kid-stand-in-front-of-the-room-and-talk-about-themselves _scenario. Didn’t that only happen on TV? The morning announcements began and Emma leaned back in her chair. With the attention now off her, she was finally able to get a look around the room. Most of the kids seemed nice enough, if not a little tired. Not that she could blame them.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________She looked around for potential best friends. The last thing she wanted was to be completely alone in a giant school. She’s had that nightmare one too many times.  
There was a girl with blue streaks in her hair mindlessly doodling into a notebook. Another one obliviously texting on her phone, tap-tapping with acrilyc nails, and then there was Gallant. And… Gallant again?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Emma felt a surge of panic and rubbed her eyes. Was she going insane? She blinked them open again, and yes, there were two Gallants across the room. She recognized Gallant’s sensible sweater right away, so the other guy must be his twin brother, the one with the adorably messy hair. Twins. She didn’t have any of those in her old school._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________The monotone voice of announcements was quickly replaced by a ringing bell, and Emma stood up and shuffled her books with all the others, heading towards the door. Before she got there, however, a hand clasped her shoulder. She turned around, seeing Gallant, or, no, his brother. “Hey,” the boy said in a raspy voice, putting on a charming smile. “I think you’ve already talked to my lame brother Gallant, but I’m Goofus. The cool one.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Oh… hi,” Emma said unsurly. This was getting confusing._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“You looked real nice up there,” Goofus whispered into her ear._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________And then he was gone._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________\---_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Meanwhile, Gallant could feel his jaw clench in anger as he watched Goofus talking to Emma. He was never one to get jealous, because it wasn’t a good quality of character, but watching Goofus’ satisfied smirk made Gallant’s blood boil. This feeling was all so new to him. What was this burning feeling spreading through his chest? Why were his fists squeezed so tight? Why did his heart feel like it was going to beat out of his chest?_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Hey, Gallant. You okay?” Gallant turned to see Kevin peering up at him, eyebrows etched with concern. Gallant forced himself to take a deep breath as he walked with Kevin in the halls._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________He hesitated telling Kevin what was happening. The kid was great with equations, but not with emotions.  
“I’m just… angry.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Kevin fixed his glasses. “Is this still about Marty Klein stealing your Humanitarian award? You honestly deserved it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Gallant sighed. He was nowhere as upset then as he was now. “No, it’s just… Goofus.” He spat out the name with so much hate that he hardly recognized his own voice. Kevin blinked slowly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Is there something you’re not telling me?” By now, they were at the English room. Gallant shook his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“I’ll tell you later.” And that was that._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________For the first time in forever, Gallant found it hard to concentrate on the grammar lesson. Luckily, this was Honors and Goofus wasn’t in this class, opting for regular English instead. Gallant sighed. Why was he so jealous over a girl that he talked to once? And Goofus had only said a few sentences to her, which wasn’t that big of a deal. But then again, Goofus had called her a “babe.” Gallant bit his lip in frustration. The participles and subjunctives swam before his eyes. Goofus had had about four girlfriends in his life, while Gallant had zero. Goofus was obviously more experienced in that area._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Gallant?” he heard the teacher call out. Gallant jerked his head up. “What’s the answer to number three?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________Gallant quickly scanned his textbook, all thoughts of Emma and Goofus forgotten. In less than five seconds, he spotted number three, identified the sentence type, and recited it out loud. “Past participial closer,” he called out. Mrs. Kovesdi smiled and nodded in approval, and Gallant let out a sigh of relief. That was one benefit of being smart. But unlike recognizing phrase types, this Emma scenario was one he did not know how to solve._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. Competition

“Yo, check dis out,” Rex called from the top of the ramp, bleached hair waving in the breeze. Goofus and his gang were at the local skatepark after school. It was actually a deserted alleyway, but it worked all the same. Every week, new equipment was brought in by various skaters, which just added to the appeal. “I’m calling dis move the Triple Three X.” He poised himself for a jump when a voice interrupted him.  
“Ay, man, I already called mine that!” another skater shouted out.  
Rex paused. “No shit. Well, boy, then dis is the Quadruple Three X.”  
“Called mine that too!”  
“Now you’re just playing with me.”  
“Get on with it, Rex!” Goofus called out. “You’re all talk, no action.”  
“Oh yeah?” Rex taunted, sticking out his tongue. “Then just watch me.” Rex crouched low on his skateboard and then sprang up like a snake ready to attack, soaring through the air, and almost losing his footing on the landing.   
“Smooth, man,” Goofus grinned. “Can’t get that landing though, can ya?”  
Rex glared at him. “Still better than you.”  
Goofus choked out a laugh, popping up from his comfortable seat on the low ramp. “Wanna bet?” Goofus loved the skatepark. It was the one place he could be with his friends outside of school, while simultaneously doing the one thing he loved most: skateboarding. No desks, or tests to inevitably fail. Just ramps. Skateboards. And fresh air. Heaven on Earth.  
For the next half hour, the skaters whizzed and twisted through the air, shouting and bantering all the way. The sounds of wheel-on-wood calmed Goofus, and he wondered if he got a tape-recording of it, he could maybe use it to fall asleep at night. Goofus shook away the crazy thought and instead focused on his next jump, one he’d been perfecting for weeks. He started from the top of a rickety looking wooden ramp and tried to calm the nerves in his stomach. He could easily fall, and it would easily hurt. A lot. He shook out his hands, blowing on them.  
“What, man, you preparing for the Olympics or something?” Rex teased from across the lot, seeing his serious attitude.  
Goofus shook his head. “Watch this,” he said simply, and was off.  
Picking up speed, he glided down the ramp, careful to keep his balance. All the had to do was flip the board in midair and somehow still land on it. His eyes squinted in concentration. Three… two… one…  
It happened in slow motion. He kicked the board, causing it to turn in midair. Unfortunately, it only turned halfway, so Goofus was forced to land on it wheels up. The scraping sound of skateboard on wood was heard and he remembered hearing a gasp. Whether it was his friends’ or his own, he wasn’t sure. The last thing he saw was the skateboard going all the way up the ramp… without him.

“Bro, you alright?”  
“Call 911.”  
“Nah, he’ll be fine. This happened to me last summer.”  
“He isn’t waking up.”  
“No shit, Sherlock.”  
“Goofus? Goofus?”  
Goofus slowly opened his eyes, feeling like he was hit by a bus. Or a semi-truck, to be more accurate. “Fuck,” he said, trying to sit up. His knee felt like it was on fire and his elbow was hurting pretty bad too. His friends were all gathered around him in a circle, looking down at him with a combination of concern, confusion, and amusement.  
“He speaks,” someone said.  
Goofus sat all the way up, immediately noticing a scrape on his left elbow. “You alright, man?” he heard someone ask, probably Rex.  
“Yeah, yeah,” he played it off, swaying to his feet. That’s the way they did it at the skatepark. You crash, stand up, and act like it was no big deal.   
“Who’s got the bad landing now?” Rex stifled a laugh.  
Goofus glared, shoving hair away from his face. “Shut up, Rex. You know you’re too chicken to even attempt what I did.” Rex shrugged and the rest of the guys dispersed. “I think I’m just gonna head home,” Goofus said to no one in particular, picking up his skateboard from where it lay lifeless in the grass. He obviously wasn’t in the mood to skate anymore.   
All of the sudden, he heard a squeal far behind him, and turned to see a silhouette racing around the parking lot on a skateboard.   
Goofus jogged over, hardly believing his eyes. “Emma?” he called out.  
The skater came to a stop and shaded her eyes against the setting sun. “Oh. Hey Goofus.” She gave a quick wave, and then was gone. Goofus stood there, shocked. He’d only seen a few girl skaters around, but they had been rougher, hardcore, less girly. And seeing a girl like Emma zooming around like that… it was like a fantasy come true.  
“Who was that?” Rex asked, coming up behind him. Goofus just blinked at the now empty parking lot.  
“Emma,” he said, still in awe. 

\---

The delicious smell of lasagna wrapped around Gallant’s head. Mom was still at work, and Dad was away on a three month long business trip, so Gallant was stuck making dinner tonight. Not that he minded. Although, technically, it was Goofus’ turn to cook. But last time that happened, they ended up with burnt macaroni and cheese… without the cheese. Goofus claimed he thought the powdered cheese was some sort of seasoning you sprinkled on top, after the noodles were cooked. Gallant still wasn’t sure whether he was joking or not, but for the love of God, he hoped he was.  
Gallant cringed as he used the Lord’s name in vain, even if it was in his head. He quickly crossed himself, and then continued stirring the noodles, trying to ignore the unfinished calculus homework nagging at him. Where was Goofus, anyways? Gallant checked his wristwatch. 7:00pm. Technically, he was supposed to be home half an hour ago. But Gallant knew he usually shows up thirty minutes late, and planned accordingly. He was just that good.   
As if on cue, the door banged open, and a tired, beat-up looking Goofus wandered in. “You’re late,” Gallant said, still focused on the steaming pot.  
“I know,” Goofus said. He dug his phone out of his pocket and sat down at the table. After furiously scrolling for a full minute, he leaned back, satisfied. “Found it,” he said to himself.   
Gallant couldn’t help himself from being curious. “Found what?”  
“That girl Emma’s Instagram,” Goofus smiled smugly, reveling in the way Gallant nearly dropped his spoon.   
“What’s her username?”  
“Hell, if I’m telling you!” Goofus burst out.  
“Language,” Gallant quietly said, spooning out ropes of lasagna onto both their plates. This wasn’t good. Goofus was already stalking her online? This might be more serious than he thought. Gallant sat down across the table.   
“Can I just eat in my room?” Goofus asked.   
Gallant sighed, because Goofus asked that every time. “No, Mom wants us to eat like this. For bonding and all that.”  
Goofus looked up from his phone. “One. We’re never are going to ‘bond.’” he made air quotes with his fingers. “And two. Mom isn’t here right now.”  
Gallant took another deep breath, trying to be polite. “Maybe next time you can.”  
Goofus huffed, annoyed. Then he smirked as he got an idea. “Hey, Gallant.”  
“What?” Gallant asked tiredly, knowing it was probably just going to be an insult about his head size or choice of clothing.  
Goofus’ smirk deepened. “You like that Emma girl, don’t you?”  
Gallant’s fork of lasagna froze halfway to his mouth. He spluttered. “Pfft. No. I hardly even know her. Why would you even ask that?” He quickly took a sip of milk to suppress the sick feeling in his stomach.  
“Well I know her. I know that she skateboards. Betcha didn’t know that, Gallant ol’ pal.”  
Gallant flushed. “I don’t want to make this a competition.”  
“There is no competition,” Goofus’ smile went dark. “Do you really think she’d go for a nerd like you? Girls like bad boys last time I checked.”  
“You don’t know that,” Gallant mumbled into his milk, avoiding his brother’s steady gaze.  
“Actually, I do. Because I’ve dated way more girls than you. I know what they like. Me.”  
Gallant put down his fork. “Obviously not enough, because none of them are here now.” His face went red as he realized what he’d just said. “I’m sorry, Goofus.”  
“You’re too nice, Gallant. Whatever, I’ll be the one saying sorry to you when Emma’s hanging off my arm next week.”  
“I don’t want this to be a competition,” Gallant repeated from before.  
Goofus stood up angrily. “Too late. It already is.” He picked up his dinner and headed into his room.  
And Gallant didn’t stop him.

\---

That night, Goofus found it hard to sleep, which wasn’t uncommon, but still annoying nonetheless. Usually he would dig out his Nintendo, keeping the volume down low so no one would hear him. Not that he cared whether they woke up or not, but last time he got caught, Dad had taken it away for an entire month.   
Various thoughts racked through his brain. School. Emma. Skateboarding. He even thought back to dinner earlier that evening. The whole fight with Gallant. He really didn’t know what came over him, but maybe it was the fact that Gallant was just so perfect. Perfect grades. Perfect hair. Perfect manners. He had everything. And the thought that he would get Emma too, skateboarding Emma, made Goofus want to shout with the unfairness of it all. Ever since they were kids… He suddenly squeezed his eyes shut as a flashback overtook his brain.

The Playdough felt warm and squishy in seven-year-old Goofus’ hands, and he molded it into a circle, flattening it with his plump little fingers.  
“Gallant, look!” he said. “I’m making a pizza!”  
Gallant nodded distractedly next to him, overly focused on making the perfect castle. He was using the premade molds to make it, and was careful to keep all the Playdough from spilling out of the containers. He gently lifted the plastic, revealing a clean-cut block of sand.   
Goofus rolled his eyes at how overly-cautious his brother was being with this whole thing, and returned his attention to his pizza. He ripped the rest of his Playdough and began shredding it, covering the pizza with a thick layer of cheese. Now for the pepperoni. Goofus glanced around, noticing that his share of Playdough was used up. Without thinking, he tore a part off of Gallant’s castle.   
“HEY!” Gallant yelled out, and promptly burst into tears. “It’s ruined!”  
“It’s just a castle,” Goofus quickly tried to calm his brother down before Mom noticed. “You can build another one.”   
Gallant just shook his head, tears running down his red cheeks. He opened his mouth. “MOOOOOM!”  
Goofus cringed. “You don’t need to call Mom,” he rushed out, knowing he was busted. “I’ll help you, see?” But it was too late.   
“Goofus, what did you do?” an angry voice burst out from behind him. He swallowed loudly.  
“I ran out of Playdough and needed some and Gallant’s was right there. I didn’t think he’d get so upset,” he rambled. “I didn’t mean it. I said I’d help him rebuild.”  
Mom’s glare said she wasn’t buying any of it. She clucked her tongue. “Goofus, Goofus, why are you always getting in trouble?” Goofus bit his lip and looked down, knowing what she’d say next. “Why can’t you be more like your brother?”  
Goofus looked up to see a still-teary Gallant now shoving dough back into the mold. “Go in the corner, Goofus,” Mom sighed, running a hand through her hair.  
Goofus furrowed his eyebrows, trying not to show how upset he really was. Crying was for babies. In the corner, he stewed. When was the last time Gallant ever got in trouble? It was always Goofus. Always. Even when Billy came over to their house to play, and dropped a lego set on his big toe. Mom had rushed in and automatically assumed it was Goofus, yanking him outside and into the corner.  
Goofus blinked back salty tears as he remembered, suddenly furious. He hated Billy. He hated Gallant. And most of all, he hated himself. Goofus stood up, hardly comprehending what he was doing, as he marched over to the kitchen table, grabbed a fistful of Playdoh, and flung it at the wall. “GOOFUS!” he heard his Mom’s cry behind him. But that just powered him more. He grabbed Gallant’s newly made castle and squeezed it between his fingers, watching the oh-so-perfect castle transform into a blob before his eyes. He smiled.   
Mom was beelining towards him now. With his heart beating wildly in his chest, Goofus decided that it was either halfway, or all the way. He grabbed the entire container of Playdoh and dumped it over Gallant’s head, ruining his perfectly combed hair, dotting his clean shirt, littering the shiny wooden floor. He was a machine, flinging Playdoh this way and that. Gallant was too stunned to cry but Goofus couldn’t stop. All his frustration was pouring out in that moment. For Billy’s stupid toe. WHAP! For Gallant’s perfectness. FLING! For his own faliure. WHIP! He stood for a minute in complete silence, his ragged breathing the only sound in the room. It was almost a beautiful sight. Playdoh. Everywhere.  
And finally, Mom grabbed the Playdoh out of his hands, yelling all the way. But Goofus blocked her out, suddenly exhausted. His tantrum was over, and he slumped in the corner as a seething Mom walked away.  
With heavy lidded eyes, Goofus watched his Mom head over to Gallant and immedietly wrap him in a hug. Her gentle touch was so different from her rough yanking from just seconds before. He watched her whisper in his ear, he watched Gallant grin with happiness, and he watched them rebuild Gallant’s castle. Together.  
And Goofus was alone.

Goofus shuddered at the memory, wrapping his bedsheet closer around his body. He focused on calming his breathing. In. Out. In. Out. He couldn’t think like this. He didn’t want to feel this. Suddenly fearing that another flashback would take him by surprise, he quickly pulled out his Nintendo and immersed himself in the game. He could deal with this another time. But right now, it was just him, the screen, and silence, all through the night.

\---

The next morning was awkward, to say the least. Goofus overslept, so Gallant was forced to wake him up, as much as he didn’t want to. He took a deep breath, heading to Goofus’ room. All the way, his conscious was going crazy over Emma. Should he back off? Fight for her? He knew the polite thing to do would let Goofus have her, but for the first time, he didn’t want to be polite. He wanted red-headed, clarinet-playing Emma to be all his. And he couldn’t shake the feeling.  
“Goofus!” he knocked on the door. No reply. “Goofus!” he tried again. Still no response. He pushed the door open gently only to see a passed-out Goofus with a Nintendo stuck to his chest. Gallant sighed. Of course. Gallant took a look around the room, blowing out a breath of frustration. Clothes completely covered the floor and empty bowls and cups littered every surface. Gallant cringed as he noticed last night’s half-eaten dinner staring him in the face. He desperately wanted to clean all of it, but he was shot down every time he offered. Band posters, like The Killers and Green Day were slapped messily on the dark green walls, and Gallant wrinkled his nose as he noticed an odd smell. It was a good thing they had separate rooms. He finally turned his attention back to the sleeping Goofus. The last thing he wanted to do was to be face-to-face with Goofus after yesterday, especially with a Goofus that had stayed up all night and would probably be cranky when he woke up. But getting Mom to do it would inconvenience her, and besides, it was usually Gallant’s job to do anyways.   
“Goofus,” he said again louder. He nudged his shoulder.  
Goofus’ eyes popped open and narrowed into slits. “What the hell are you doing in my room?” Gallant flinched. “I had to wake you up,” he said quietly. “You weren’t responding.”  
“Shit! We have school today.”  
“Yeah.” Gallant was still a bit too scared to correct him and say ‘Language.’  
“Fuck off, Gallant,” he snapped angrily. When Gallant hesitated, he raised his voice. “I said FUCK OFF!”  
Gallant widened his eyes and turned, tripping over clothes scattered on the floor in the process. By the time he finally stumbled into the hallway, the door slammed loudly behind him. Gallant reeled back. He’d hardly ever seen Goofus this angry. When he usually woke him up, there was a lot of grumbling and rolling over, but never this.  
Gallant gulped, his conscious nagging him to apologize. But for what? So he decided he wouldn’t.

Ten minutes passed and Goofus still wasn’t out of his room. Gallant glanced at the clock nervously. They had two minutes until the bus arrived. He quickly finished what was left of his Cheerios and fixed his sleeves. One was higher than the other, which always got on his nerves. He slapped on his wristwatch and looked out the window, immediately spotting a blur of mustard yellow through the trees. The bus was here.   
The next few seconds were stressful for Gallant. Should he call Goofus? Go on without him? Tell the busdriver to wait for him (again)? Luckily, Goofus burst in the kitchen at the last second, brushing past Gallant like he wasn’t even there. Which Gallant was thankful for, to be honest.  
The bus ride consisted of a lot of angry glares from Goofus. Gallant was careful to avoid his gaze, like some gazelle trying to hide from a lion. And quite honestly, he hated himself for it. Goofus was his brother. Why did Gallant have to act so scared?  
“Gosh dang,” Kevin said from beside him. “What did you do to Goofus? He looks ready to exterminate you.”  
Gallant allowed himself to chuckle lightly. “I woke him up.”  
Kevin burst out laughing.  
But Gallant knew it was a lot more than that. And at the moment, he could feel Goofus’ eyes boring into him, and it was a very uncomfortable feeling. Which was probably the point.  
The school drop-off couldn’t have come soon enough, and Gallant gratefully joined the mob of students filing outside. Almost to the front, he suddenly felt a hand grab his shoulder. “She’s mine,” the voice said.  
Gallant gulped, knowing exactly who said that. Kevin shot him a worried glance but Gallant just shook his head. Inside, he felt this combination of emotions he couldn’t really explain. Sadness, because with Goofus’ experience, Emma probably was going to be his. Anger, because he met Emma first! Couldn’t Goofus just leave this one girl alone? And fear, because who knew what Goofus was capable of when he was this angry.  
Once off the bus, Gallant took a look around. Right away he spotted Goofus, who was barreling towards the entrance, a determined look set on his face. Gallant swallowed anxiously, knowing exactly who he was aimed at.

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! So if you haven't already noticed, this story is based off of the Highlight's cartoon Goofus & Gallant, where Goofus is typically portrayed doing the "wrong" thing while Gallant does the "right" thing.
> 
> I was sitting in my optometrist's waiting room flipping through the magazines when I stumbled upon the Goofus & Gallant comic series from my childhood and wondered 'What would happen if they were fighting over a girl?' The idea of bad versus good in a love triangle intrigued me, and over the course of two years, I've explored this concepts through this story.
> 
> Finally, I decided to publish it for the world. Full of drama, angst, and competition, this book is guaranteed to make you laugh, cry, and connect with the characters in a much deeper way than the Highlights comic series ever allowed.
> 
> Thank you!


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